WALES — Regional School Unit 4 directors will decide Wednesday evening on a $22.45 million budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

If passed by the board, Sabattus, Litchfield and Wales voters will weigh in May 17.

The proposed budget is a 5.46% increase over this year’s $21.3 million.

Sabattus residents would see a 17.2% increase in contributions or $4.55 million compared to last year’s $3.88 million.

Litchfield residents would get a 12.5% increase, or $4.67 million compared to last year’s $4.15 million.

Wales would get a 14.1% increase, or $1.70 million compared to last year’s $1.49 million.

Advertisement

Estimated increases to in property tax rates would be $1.84, $1.37 and $1.65, respectively, per $1,000 of assessed value.

Cost centers with the greatest proposed increases are special education, 17.22% or $687,236.79, and buildings and grounds maintenance, 13.77% or $428,341.34.

Regular education instruction would get a 2.05% or $152,931.53 increase; staff and student support, 2.47% or $62,815.21; system administration, 2.79% or $23,522.32; other instruction, which includes summer school and extracurriculars, 4.68% or $23,267.33; and school administration, 1.86% or $19,148.51.

Career and Technical Education would see a 21.85% decrease. However, state subsidies for it have fallen 76% leaving Sabattus, Litchfield and Wales with increases of $17,025.42, $14,069.62 and $5,704.89, respectively.

Transportation and debt service cost centers would fall 9.34% and 3.98% or $116,873 and $18,814.23, respectively. Nutrition, budgeted at $100,000 for the 2022-2023 school year, would see a 100% decrease with the proposed budget.

The school board will meet 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the RSU 4 central office at 971 Gardiner Road in Wales.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.